Bottle cap



M. J. sHERocK ET AL 2,754,989

`luly 17, 1956 BOTTLE CAP 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 5, 1954 IN V EN TOR.

M-CMW/ Wm f- July 17, 1956 Filed March 5. 1954 M. J. SHERocK ET AL 2,754,989

BOTTLE CAP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. M4rrA/En/ J7 SHE/eacK, /QOSEBT E. S/DDEAAS 4 TTOe/VE K5 United States Patent orrLE CAP Matthew J. 'Sherocln Wayne, Mich., and Robert E. Siddens, Rockville, Ind.

Application March 5, 1954, Serial No. 414,396

4 Claims. (Cl. 21S-46) This invention relates to improvements in bottle caps.

An object of the invention is to provide a bottle cap having an inbuilt opener.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle cap which securely closes the neck of a bottle in the conventional manner but which may be easily removed at any time and in any place without the bother and inconvenience of having a separate bottle opener available for the purpose.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description considered in conjunction with the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bottle cap embodying the improvement of the present invention in closing engagement upon the neck of a bottle.

Figure 2 is a view taken along the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a view taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view taken along the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a View of the assembly of Figure 2 with the cap in a partially removed position.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of an alternative form of the improvement of the present invention installed upon a bottle cap which is in closing engagement with the neck of a bottle.

Figure 7 is a view taken along the line 7 7 of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view of the assembly of Figure 7 in the partially removed position.

Figure 9 is an exploded view of the form of the improvement of the present invention shown in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the reference numeral 1 designates generally a conventional type bottle cap including a flat top 2 and a crimped skirt 3 depending from the top 2. The crimped skirt 3 resiliently engages a bead 4 surrounding the upper end ofthe neck 5 of a bottle when the cap 1 is placed thereon to close the bottle, holding the cap 1 in closing relation position upon the neck 5. A seal, consisting of a cork disc 6 interposed between two discs 7 and 8 of thin sheet tin is positioned within the cap 1 in abutting relationship with respect to the under side of the top 2 and serves to seal the opening 9 of the neck 5 when the cap 1 is in its closing relation position upon the neck 5.

The present improvement includes a cap removing element, generally designated 10, which has one end portion spaced above and overlying the top 2 and has its other end portion attached to the top 2. One end portion of the prying element 10 is in the form of an arm 11 which overlies the top in spaced parallel relation thereto. The other or free end portion of the cap removing element 10 is in the form of another arm 12 which it attached to the top 2. The arms 11 and 12 are arranged in superimposed, spaced relation and have their facing ICC ends connected together by a web 13 which extends perpendicularly with respect to the arms 11 and 12. In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, the arms 11 and 12 extend in opposite directions from the web 13 and the lower portion of the web 13 passes through a closed slot 14 in the top 2 to bring the arm 12 into abutting attachment with the under side of the top 2. In the construction shown in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, the arm 12 extends from the web 13 in the same direction as the arm 11 and is fastened upon the upper surface of the top 2 by means of rivets 15, being widened and provided with spaced rivet holes 16 for the purpose.

The removing element further comprises a nger piece generally designated 17, which is sildably mounted on and overlies the arm 11 for movement from a retracted position shown in solid lines in Figure 2 and broken lines in Figure 7, to an extended operative position beyond the side of the cap 1, as shown in broken lines in Figure 2 and solid lines in Figure 7. The linger piece 17 consists of a horizontally disposed disc 18 and a pair of integral spaced ears 19 which reach across and are spaced below the disc 18 from one side of the peripheral edge toward the other and are in parallel spaced relation with respect to the under side of the disc 18. The disc 18 rests slidably upon the upper surface of the arm 11 and the uppor surfaces of the ears 19 make sliding contact against the lower surface of the arm 11, thus clipping the finger piece 17 slidably upon the arm 11. The spacing between the ears 19 is widened adjacent the bent portions of the 'fingers where they join the disc so as to form a slot 20 of sufficient size to permit longitudinal sliding movement of the arm 11 therethrough and of sufficient length to permit the finger piece 17 to move to a retracted position fully overlying the top 2, as shown in solid lines in Figure 2 and broken lines in Figure 7. Obviously, since in the construction shown in Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, the web 13 is positioned nearer the center of the cap 1 than in the construction shown in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, the slot 20 must be longer in the former form than in the latter. In both forms the end of the slot 20 adjacent the free ends of the ears 19 serves as stops for the nger piece 17 as it moves to its fully retracted position. As a stop for the movement of the linger piece 17 in its extended position, the construction of Figures 1 to 5 inclusive provides a downturned flange 21 o-n the disc 18 which connects the ears 19 at their bends and strikes against the end of the arm 11 which is connected to the web 13 when the nger piece 17 reaches its fully web position, preventing further movement in the direction. In the construction of Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, the free end portion of the arm 11 is widened to the extent that it will strike the bends of the ears and thereby prevent further extension of the finger piece 17.

It will be obvious that the cap 1 may be pressed into engagement upon the neck 5 of a bottle in the customary way and when so placed will effect the usual sealing closure of the neck of the bottle. To be able to open bottles closed by caps embodying the present invention, it is not necessary to have available a constantly misplaced, separate bottle opener. Each cap provides its own opener. A touch of the nger is sutlicient to move the nger piece 17 from its retracted position to its extended operative position and a slight downward pressure upon the finger piece in the latter position will cause the cap 1 to pivot about its point of engagement with the neck 5 and raise the opposite side of the cap out of engagement with the bead 4, as shown in Figures 5 and 8. The cap may then be lifted freely from the neck of the bottle.

What is claimed is:

1. A bottle cap comprising a cap top, a vertical web fixed to and rising from the cap top, said web having an upper end, an arm having a free end and another end, said arm being fixed at said other end to the upper end of said web with the arm extending parallel to the cap top and across the cap top, a nger piece consisting of a disc having a peripheral edge and an underside, a pair of laterally spaced ears extending across the underside of the disc from one side of its peripheral edge substantially to the opposite side of said peripheral edge, said ears having free ends and other ends, bends fixed on the said one side of the peripheral edge of the disc and depending below the disc and fixed to said other ends of the ears and supporting said ears in parallel spaced relation to the underside of the disc, said ears being lat erally spaced from each other and said ears having laterally inward longitudinal edges in laterally spaced relation to each other, said ears having upper sides, said arm being sldably engaged between said bends and with the underside of the disc and the upper sides of the ears and being wider than the space between said longitudinal edges of the ears, said bends being laterally spaced apart from each other at a distance greater than the spacing of the longitudinal edges of the ears from each other so as to dene stop shoulders on the ears at the said other ends of the ears with which said web is engageable in a retracted position of the disc.

2. A bottle cap according to claim 1 having further stop means acting between said disc and said arm for stopping said disc in an extended position along said arm.

3. A bottle cap according to claim 1 having further stop means acting between said disc and said arrn for stopping said disc in an extended position along said arm, said further stop means comprising a flange on and depending from said disc and arranged to engage said web in the extended position of the disc.

A bottle cap according to claim 1 having further stop means acting between said disc and said arm for stopping said disc in an extended position along said arm, said further stop means comprising a widened portion on the free end of the arm extending beyond at least one side of the arm and arranged to be engaged by the bends in the extended position of the disc.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 817,532 Taylor Apr. 10, 1906 2,019,014 Kuhne Oct. 29, 1935 2,092,061 Graham Sept. 7, 1937 2,120,603 Dreucci June 14, 1938 2,337,241 Harvey et al Dec. 21, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 482,836 Italy July 13, 1953 

